For many gay and lesbian young people in France, Le Refuge is a lifesaver -- literally. Since 2003, the organization has helped hundreds of desperate youths, most of them from Muslim families, who have been rejected by their families and forced onto the streets. But the charity is overwhelmed by the number of people seeking assistance.
Amine (not his real name) cannot forget the last words he heard from his father. Six words that destroyed his life. "You are no longer my son."
That night, the 23-year-old couldn't sleep. At dawn, as his family slept, he slipped out of the house. He didn't say goodbye to anyone -- not to his mother, or to his sisters. At 7 a.m. he stood with a packed suitcase at the train station, waiting for the train to Paris.
Amine's father had rejected him because he is gay. There was no way back.